Turntables — Sme Model 35

SME Limited of Steyning, West Sussex, presented the Model 35 at a London launch event on 4 April 2025 together with the new Series Vi tonearm that comes fitted to it and the smaller Model 8 turntable. The deck replaces the earlier Model 30 and sits between the Model 12 and the Model 60 in the current SME turntable line. UK pricing is GBP 35,999 in black or silver anodised finishes and GBP 37,999 in midnight blue or gunmetal, and in the US the same versions list at USD 38,999 and USD 41,165.

Key specs that matter

Only two speeds are provided, 33.33 and 45 rpm, and there is no 78 rpm setting. The plinth is 220 mm high, 480 mm wide and 430 mm deep, the turntable weighs 32 kg, while the external speed controller adds 2 kg and the power supply 4.2 kg. A 24-pole AC synchronous motor, compliantly mounted to the base, turns a 4.6 kg aluminium alloy platter and brings it up to 33.33 rpm within 2 to 3 seconds of starting. The main bearing uses a 19 mm high-carbon steel shaft that stands on a precision ball, runs in sintered bronze bushings and is damped hydraulically in silicone fluid. On the Series Vi arm, effective length is 233.15 mm and the pivot sits 215.35 mm from the spindle.

Engineering and use context

The layout borrows the three-column structure of the Model 60. Each column holds an enclosed, inverted suspension that SME says controls movement both vertically and horizontally, using 15 elastomeric belts per tower plus a lateral band beneath the sub-chassis. Three decoupled feet with multipoint isolation can be raised or lowered for levelling. The platter surface carries a damping layer and is diamond-turned with a fine scroll where it meets the record. Speed regulation comes from the Model 60 as well - a DSP-based electronic controller that drives the AC motor and is fed by its own separate transformer unit. The Vi in the arm name stands for improved, and its armtube is machined by CNC in one piece from a high-density non-metallic polymer resin with a circular cross-section, replacing the magnesium tube of the Series V, which is otherwise the same design. SME states that pillar and tube resonances measure lower than before. Crystal Cable wire runs through the arm, ending in gold-plated RCA connectors.

Pairing

The Series Vi accepts cartridges weighing from 7 to 18 g.

Alternatives

The SME Model 60 is the top turntable of the current SME range and the source of the column layout and speed control used in the Model 35.